Combination step plate and luggage carrier



Sept. 6 '1927. I 1,641,510

A. sUNDBoRG COMBINATION STEP PLATE AND LUGGAGE CARRIER Filed Juiy 19, 1926 INVENTOR f l0 Axel Sulzaborg Y? Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

N 1 TED.; sr-Aras 1,641,510 PATENT OFFICE.

AXEL SUNDBORG,.OF.SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNA. V

co'MBrixurrionl sur PLATE anni :Lues-Asn Icaninsn.

Application filed Julyl 19, 1926. SelialNo. 123,262. ,i

This invention relates to automobile accesories, my Jprincipal object being to'provide a device to be permanentlymounted on the car and designed Aso 'as to function both as a step-plate on therunning board aswell as a lugga ge carrier when desired.

Step-plates, as 'is well known, add a smart touch to the appearance of a car and in addition are useful in preventing the wear of the running board covering. VLuggage carriersfespecial'ly"in thesedays of camping and other long distance trips, are almost a necessity at one time oranother on practically/every pleasure car. Iam aware that luggage carriers are now made so that they may berfolded down onto the running board when vnot in use. Such carriers, however, are then unsightly and in the way of the feet the persons entering Ior leaving the can, As a result is'very seldom that such carriers 'are permanently `left 'in place, 'but areI usually ren'ioved rafter each individual trip. lt frequently happens, however, that a luggage carrier yis Vneeded when its use has not been foreseen, and having been left elsewhere is not available when wanted. yMy device .is also of a foldablefnature lbut'is so designed thatl when folded akservicea'ble and neat appearing `step-pvlate arrangement'is providedl and when unfolded a luggage carrierof'generous capacity lis had'. e The'de'vice is also arranged so t-hat'it-r isbut the worl of a few seconds to fold or unfold the same. It is alsol butthe'worl; of a few minutes'to initially install the ,device after rwhich it need never be disturbed. y

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedinglyeffective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplishby means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective outline of a motor vehicle showing my attachment applied to the ruiming board in folded or step-plate forming position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the at taclnnent unfolded and in position to serve as a luggage carrier.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the attachment folded.

vFig-4is a fragmentary transverse section of the attacl'nnent also folded.

` 'Fig'. 5y if; a. perspective view of Athe'device as Vmade for usejfor a single door car. -lvRefer-ring nowr more `particular-ly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and particularly at present to Figs. l to 4, the numeral l denote; the side of the body of a car having longitudinally spaced doors 2 and a runningboard 3 extending longitudinally of the car a certain distance below the bottomfof the doors.

vMy combination attachn'ient forl use in 'connect-ion. with such a vdoor arrangement' 'compriswj apair' cf kplates 4 of suitable material yand d in'iensions `(depending upon the width of the running board on which they are to `be mounted) spaced apart so as to be substantially in transverse lalinement with the doors. These plates are rigidly 'connccted together by longitudinal strips 5 or similar 'meii'ibers. `The inner' ends of the plates terminate adjacent the vertical back plate "6 of the running-board and are bent upwardly somewhat at such termination as at 7 to form a. narrow neel: plate arrangement. At their outer ends the plates have longitudinal rods 8 projecting therethrough and tlierebeyond, the outer endsof these rods being turnable' in eyes 9 secured to the running lboard adjacent the outer edge thereof. The lplatesat said outer end `also have right angled I.danges'or projections 'l0 YXtcnding lengthwise thereof.` `When the plates are horizontally lisposed these flanges are up- .standing and then serve as dirt scrapersfor the feet.' The'flanges are also disposed relative to the hinge or pivotal'connection of the plates with the rumiing board soas to form stopsv to prevent outward and downward tipping of theplatesJ beyond a vertical position when said plates are raised as shown in'Fig. 2., 'A l 'Hinged onto the opposed side edges of the plates 4 are wings 11, substantially the same area as said plates and adapted to fold closely against the back faces of the same.

When the plates 4 are horizontally disposed with the wings 1l thereunder, the structure then rests firmly against the running board and the plates 4 then serve as step-plates The plates are of fairly substantial character and their outer faces are preferably corrugated or deeply nurled so as to offer a non-slip footing. The nurling or corrugating is also so disposed that the plates as a whole present a neat appearance. The wings may be of lighter material but should also be rigid and substantial so as movement or undesired raising of the same, 1I mount studs 12 1n the running board adjacent and outwardly of the opposite sides of the plates at their inner ends. Clamping members 18 are turnably and removably fitted over the studs and are arranged to engage the running board at'one end and to overhang and engage the plates i at the ,other end. The clamps are maintained in clamping engagement by wing nuts 14 0r the like on the studs.

Vhen the clamps are removed, the plates 4 raised and the wings opened out to a luggage carrying position, the studs then serve as stops to prevent further outward movement of the wings. The latter being independently movable one or the other may be left folded if a very long article, projecting beyond the plates li, is to be carried.

If the car is of the single door type only one plate la would be used as shown in Fig. 5. The wings 11a are then both mounted at the opposite ends of the one plate. The plate in this case is preferably longer than those used in the first described type so as to provide sufficient luggage carrying space between the wings when the latter are uni folded.

In both forms of the device, each wing is provided with an orifice 15 near its lower inn-er end when unfolded, so that when in this position, the end of the adjacent clamping member 13 may be projected through the orifice. Vhen the nut 12 is then turned down, the wing is held against undesired folding movement.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combination step-plate and luggage carrier for motor vehicles comprising a plate member to lie superimposed on the running board of the vehicle, means for mounting the plate at its outer edge onto the running board in hinged relation thereto whereby to permit the plate to be raised to a vertical" position, and a ange along the outer edge of the plate, said flange lying in an upstanding position when the plate is horizontally disposed to then serve as a scraper, and when the plate is vertically disposed, bearing against the upper face ofthe runningboard to prevent outward turning of the plate beyond a vertical position. Y

2. A combination, step plate and luggage carrier for motor vehicles comprising a plate member to lie superimposed on the runningboard of the vehicle, means for mounting the plate at its outer edge onto the runningboard in'hinged relation thereto, whereby to permit the plate to be raised to a vertical position, a wing plate hinged to one side of the plate member and adapted to fold against the back face thereof, vand clamping means mounted on the runningboard to both engage the plate when horizontally disposed and the wing when the latter is outstretched.

3. A combination step plate and luggage carrier for motor vehicles comprising a plate member to lie superimposed on the runningboard of the vehicle, means for mounting the plate at its outer edge onto the runningboard in hinged relation thereto, whereby to permit the plate to be raised to a vertical position, a wing plate hinged to one side of the plate member and adapted to fold against the back face thereof, and clamping means for said plate and wing comprising a horizontal member, a fixed stud on which said member is turnably mounted, and a screw on the stud to engage said member, therlatter when the plate is horizontally disposed being adapted to overhang said plate, and when the latter is raised and the wing outstretched being arranged at one end to enter an orifice provided tlrerefor in the wing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

p AXEL SUNDBORG. 

